15 Comments

I notice that the western media is very ready to be cynical about India, about the overt spirituality, about the traditional culture, the rate of progress. Certainly when anything negative happens there, the media is all over it. And yes, I understand there are many con-men, charlatans, ersatz god-men and hippies in India whose interests are far more worldly than spiritual; and there have been some terrible crimes. But as someone who writes earnestly about the good, and true and beautiful I find in India, I wonder. Am I sensing an anti-India bias? A general disbelief in anything perceived as spiritual? Or is just that the media likes black-and-white ... rather than shades of colour and nuance and contradiction ... for if India is anything, it is the home of extreme contradiction. What do you think? http://breathedreamgo.com/2012/07/the-dust-of-india/

Interesting question, and one that is timely given last week's featured article by Jessica Lee on the curious appeal that India seems to have for types of travellers (here in case you missed it). Jessica seemed to be saying there was a degree of "India exceptionalism" among that type of traveller and she wasn't particularly buying it, or at least she was missing it.

Maybe the problem is an anti-nuance bias in our media, as you say - anything other than black and white that doesn't fit established narratives or world views is just too awkward and so doesn't get any attention.

I'd argue that media in the USA has the same bias toward India that it has toward Ecuador and Germany and South Africa: uncaring disinterest in countries beyond the border. Mind you, we pay attention to other countries during a crisis, celebrity mishap or military intervention, but otherwise, there's a gaping hole in the coverage. What comedian John Oliver points out so well is that there's a whole world to mock.

I think there's a risk of making this a U.S. problem when it most definitely occurs elsewhere too. Mariellen, do you notice a similar problem in Canada? Even in the UK with our long, frequently tumultuous, relationship with India very little of all its cultural complexity seeps into the mainstream. Aside from the cuisine, which has been well and truly assimilated into British culture, there's just a vague sense that India is where all the hippies go to grow their hair, and that's about it.

On the other hand maybe we need to give our mass media a break - it is the "mass" media after all. Can/should we expect it to explore cultural nuances to the degree we're talking about here? Maybe this is precisely what niche writers and publishers - Mariellen and Gregory for example - are here for?

Sorry Matthew, I did not mean to say lack of coverage of India solely
a US issue, but cannot speak from perspective of
UK/Australian/French/etc. citizen.

In terms of mass media, we
do get here on cable a station called Euronews -- I believe funded by
the EU -- that is far more expansive in its coverage than anything we
see here, and BBC (also available here via cable) is not bad in
exploring India (http://www.bbc.com/news/world/asia/india/). Mass media
can include some thoughtful papers like Le Monde, the Guardian, and the
New York Times that do include occasional features.

I agree
it is the job of "niche" sites to bring issues from underrepresented countries like India to their attention, but like any media of any size, they still have to make
editorial choices based upon perceived/tested interest... But India is
so extremely photogenic while economically successful (in financial
terms) that it should, conceptually, not be difficult for mass media to
market.

I don't know that India suffers an anti-bias any more than any other country. If it bleeds it leads -- and India has had some appalling crimes of late and I think rightly so the country has been absolutely flogged over it. Perhaps a case of the bad news drowning out the good? Or, as Ron says the "uncaring disinterest in countries beyond the border". Perhaps a bit of each?

I respectfully agree with you, in part, Stuart. The problem is that any response would get very political and extensive. I am not sure how political views and travel mix, even if many would argue that all discourse between more than one person is inherently political. Perhaps we can discuss this off-line from this site someday, as I have strong but nuanced views on this matter... Of course, it would be best if I had Mariellen's extensive first-hand experience as one who traveled solo in India for so long.

Sorry for being absent to a discussion I started, and thanks so much for all the thoughtful comments. Nice to reconnect with you Gregory!

Matthew asked about Canada and I am sorry to say that Canada might even be worse than the USA in terms of its coverage of India. In fact, it is, in part, the Canadian media that promoted this query. I have come to believe that there is a deliberate anti-India bias in the Canadian media. I can only imagine how the million+ Indo-Canadians feel -- virtually every article that makes headlines is negative in the extreme.

These days of course the rapes in India story is getting a huge amount of coverage. Awhile ago I went to a panel on South Asian representation in the media, and someone said it as if they "insist" upon this story. Yes, it is true there are ongoing horrific stories of rape coming from India, but there are even worse problems elsewhere, like Kenya. But there's something about Indians and rape that grab the western media attention.

This is a big topic, don't have time to address it now, but someday I would like to write about the negative and stereotypical media coverage of India. I just hope the alternative media doesn't fall into the same trap. It's so easy to be cynical about the spirituality of India, so easy to concentrate on the horror stories. I hope to offer a different perspective.

Ethnocentrism is clearly at play as far as I can read the U.S. media and coverage of India (when there is any at all). A country so incredibly rich and diverse in terms of religions ranging from the pagan to the monotheistic, ultra-complex and subtle beliefs such as Hinduism (just to cite one example), culture, aesthetics, history, politics and geopolitics, etc. is just too complex to convey to a public that loves stories that are precisely not full of contradictions, not full of that which might invoke thoughts and ideas that cannot be reconciled in neat little logical and technological packets or lists.

"The 10 Top Destinations in India" would be ridiculous, as would any list, though such a list might gain attention due to the love of top 10 lists in headlines as teasers. You certainly cannot "do" India as some "do" Paris or London.

Isolationism does not breed respect for the "other," and I can think of no other country in the world full of more mystery and the unknown than India. Not having had the many months or years necessary to touch the surface of India during an extended trip, I am all-too-aware how much has been missed. Fortunately, like all of you, I have friends from that part of the world, have read some of the enormous volume of literature and mythology, participated in some of the various spiritual traditions and arts, heard directly and indirectly some of the great traditional music, etc. to feel the impact from afar and hear it beckoning.

My job as a publisher is to expand coverage of some of the complexity of the great country, which reminded me that I had paid Mariellen (thank you!) for an article on"Yoga as a window into Indian culture" and I have to put it up! Thank you Outbounding and especially Mariellen for your great posts and blog prompting me to look back though my files and find the hidden gem!

Thank you Matthew, will do!. Thank you and your fellow moderators
for the Herculean efforts that make this such an interesting and
inspirational place to visit during our collectively busy days!

Anyone
interested can see our articles on India at
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/living/living_abroad/living_in_india.shtml#articles,
including one by Mariellen. Her blog is a tremendous source of
information, and her solo travels in India are fascinating.

I think people have defined notion of India in their minds which tends to be static, while India is a living entity - moving, progressing all the time. When something clashes with their Idea of India they respond.
A very valid point about elections - but they have been happening every 5 years and impact Indians primarily - so there is no conflict that people see there and hence that does not catch their imagination.

Well as an Indian I think I need to write here. Well to tell you the truth the Indian society isn't much concerned about what western world is talking about it. Now not all Indians live in cities, many (majority) lives in Rural area and as an experience I think we might me more interested to hear a news from Russia (as Russia has been a long term partner with India).

I personally believe that my nation has seen many ups and down and currently we are facing many problems like population being one. But I am sure that we will bounce back. Plus as a person who has majors in History and political science I am just going to end my comment with a small statement.

Every Nation who has the status of Power attached with it will try to make sure that the status remains with them. For that they will spread not only their business but culture and language globally to make sure that the rest are also relied upon them. But as the history as always shown that the Status Quo isn't permanent as UK was once the major power and even Greece so the current ones will never last...

But as an Indian I just pray that our friends in west live a happy life as finally this term is the of real power status quo for me which I want to hold for life...